TIIE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN. 
139 
on a bed of fine soil in a cold frame, or on a prepared plot on 
a sheltered sunny border, the seed-bed to be covered with a 
few branches of evergreens until the seedling plants appear. 
Generally speaking, division of the root-stock in autumn will 
be found a sufficiently rapid mode of propagating, as the 
plants spread fast, and the smallest bit of root will “ make 
itself” in one season. They should be planted rather deep 
according to the size of the roots, as they grow ujpivarcls, and 
should be taken up every four or five years, and be planted 
again deep enough to cover the crowns. When this is done, 
the roots can be divided if desirable, and the ground ought 
certainly to be deeply stirred and manured. The most 
valuable species in this section is I. Germanica , the “ blue 
flag 55 of the cottage-garden. Of this there are many varie¬ 
ties, a few extremely beautiful, and many worthy a place in 
the garden, for the sake of their singular markings and 
curious shades of colour. Our fine British plant, the yellow 
water iris, I. joseud-acorus 0 makes a grand mass of perennial 
herbage, and a bonny show of yellow flowers in June, when 
planted in a muddy inlet, or any odd bit of water waste. L 
foetidissima is equally useful for positions a little less moist, 
but likes to be near water. I. graminea is a good garden 
iris, with flowers violet purple or yellow. 1 . lutescens is a 
pretty little iris suited for a sunny bank or rockery, the 
flowers are pale yellow. I. pumila, the dwarf, or Crimean 
iris, is a charming plant for front lines and clumps in the 
flower-garden, and worth growing in pots. There are about a 
dozen varieties, of which the best are coerulea , blue ; versicolor , 
blue and white ; atroccerulea , dark blue ; and lutea, yellow. I 
susiana is a grand plant for those who can grow it. The 
requirements being a warm dry soil and a sheltered situation. 
The Tuberous or Bulbous-rooted kinds require a rich, 
sandy, well-drained soil and shade from the mid-day sun in 
summer. They all thrive in sandy peat, but there is no occa¬ 
sion to purchase peat for them in districts far removed from 
peat-lands, because any good soil will be improved to suit 
them by being well broken up, and plenty of old stable-manure, 
leaf-mould, and sharp sand added to it. These kinds should 
be planted only two or three inches deep, as they grow down¬ 
wards ; and independent of the desirability of occasionally 
dividing the roots, they must every three or four years be 
lifted and planted again near the surface. I. reticulata is an 
